Meanwhile as Canterbury swelters through scorching temperatures today, locals are being warned to prepare for strong winds on Sunday.

MetService has issued a severe weather watch predicting a period of strong north-west gales for inland Canterbury on Sunday.

There was a chance of some severe gale gusts, especially about the foothills.

Heavy rain has been forecast for the west of the island.

A front over the Tasman Sea will move northwards across the South Island on Sunday with the MetService saying it should bring heavy rainfalls to the West Coast, causing spillover into the headwaters of Canterbury's lakes and rivers.

"It is likely that some or all of these areas will be included in a heavy rain warning closer to the event,'' it said.